Companies ordered to clean up former sour gas plant site in central Alberta

EDMONTON – The Alberta government has ordered ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corporation and Bonavista Energy Corporation to clean up the site of a former sour gas plant.

The government says ConocoPhillips Canada is the holder of the Environmental Protection and Enforcement Act approval for the reclamation of the Crossfield sour gas processing plant and is the surface lease holder.

It says Bonavista Energy Corporation obtained the Alberta Energy Regulator well licence from ConocoPhillps Canada in January 2003.

In 2010, a report summarizing the monitoring data was completed.

The report identified petroleum hydrocarbons, chloride and metals in groundwater and soil exceeding the provincial guidelines on the well and plant site and extending beyond those boundaries.

The Alberta government says no further site investigations, soil/groundwater sampling events or remedial work have been undertaken by ConocoPhillips Canada or Bonavista since 2010.

The enforcement order requires that ConocoPhillips Canada and Bonavista must submit a written delineation plan, prepared by a qualified environmental professional, to the government for approval.

Tney must also submit a written remediation plan, prepared by a qualified environmental professional.

The companies must also submit regularly scheduled status reports and upon completion of the work, a final report.